Those unpopular decisions will need to continue if Bing hopes to turn around Detroit, according to a harsh commentary by Shikha Dalmia for the Wall Street Journal.

WSJ, Nov. 6: Detroit now more closely resembles a frontier town that needs not flashy stadiums and art institutes but basic services: police, firemen and good schools. Mr. Bing needs to confront the hard reality that the city needs to pare back its liabilities, identify infrastructure it can no longer afford to maintain, and (though this is anathema to Detroit's political class) perhaps auction off portions of its 140 square miles to neighboring counties, shrinking to a size that its diminished population base can support.

Rhetoric aside, it's clear Bing faces several significant challenges as he prepares to lead Detroit for the next four years.

Bing is asking union workers to accept a 10 percent pay cut in the form of furlough days, but the union says he's asking for too much and Wayne State professor Hal Stack tells Crain's, "I don't see a good way for this thing to end."

Dalmia even went so far as to suggest bankruptcy may be the best option for the "city that allows unions to run amok."

2. Take care of business

As Dalmia puts it, Detroit's highest-in-state taxes -- along with the murder rate, public school failure, and blight -- have produced "an exodus of business."

In order to attract new business, Bing must first take care of his own new business: city government.

“When a small business calls downtown about a bill they don't understand, someone has to answer the phone," Bill Swanson, director of the CEM Business Association, told Crain's. "...When one of my businesses has to go downtown, they have to shut down the store for the day. That's one day's income, because they can't get their questions answered.”

3. Get the city's house in order

While Bing will sit atop city government, he's going to need help from below: Local leaders tell Crain's the Bing administration must play nice with the new city council.

Things are looking up in that department.

Bing met with council candidates in the run up to last week's election, and Council President-elect Charles Pugh has expressed a willingness to work with Bing.

“It's so important that we realize the bottom line is it's not about his ego or my ego, it's about the city of Detroit and making the best decisions,” Pugh told Crain's.

4. Build community support

Finally, local leaders say Bing will have to win over the public. Bing operated behind the scenes for much of his time in office, but political consultant Adolph Mongo says it's time he step into the spotlight as a visible leader.

“Bing says he's not a politician, but he's going to have to learn to play politics," Mongo told Crain's.

“Detroiters are forgiving people. They don't hold grudges, but if he doesn't give them an opportunity to forgive, he's going to have a long road. Four years is a long time.”